Fifth Leg: Rawlins to Berthoud

July 23

Rawlins to Encampment

(Day 30 - 59.99 mi, Elevation gain: 1,860 ft)

The previous night, we revised our plan for the final few days of the trip. With no flights or train tickets purchased, we had no plan for what we were going to do once we arrived in Denver. In a last-minute decision, my parents decided to come meet us. Knowing they were going to be in the Denver area on Tuesday, we aimed to push a little further than originally planned each day this week.

The cycling gods looked upon us favorably today. Tailwinds propelled us forward to make the trek from Rawlins relatively easy. Leaving Rawlins, we passed through Sinclair. We then did what was probably the stupidest thing we've done all trip: rode along I-80 for about 10 miles. The Adventure Cycling Association usually finds the most cycling-friendly roads to ride on, but I am glad to say that we mad it across this stretch of road without incident. There were basically no other streets running east-west in this area, so it was the only option. 45 miles in, we stopped for lunch a the Saratoga Sandwich Company. We made it to Encampment by about 3:30. After considering pushing on to camp in the middle of nowhere Wyoming, we decided to stay put at Lazy Acres RV park where we had access to a shower and laundry. With the continental divide hiking trail passing not too far away from the RV park, the campsite was filled with several continental divide through hikers in more desperate need for laundry and a shower than me and Mitch. We got some pretty solid pizza from the the Divide Restaurant and settled in for the night.

July 24

Encampment to Gould

(Day 31 - 70.41 mi, Elevation gain: 5,125 ft)

To compensate for our fortune yesterday, we rode through lovely headwinds as we set out towards the Wyoming-Colorado border. Feeling like we were "about 3 miles" away from the border for like an hour, we finally made it and stopped for lunch. The road's shoulder vanished as soon as we crossed the border, so we had to be more cautious on roads as we neared Walden. We enjoyed some burgers and AC at the River Rock Cafe in Walden. We then picked up some food for dinner, breakfast, and lunch the next day. Leaving Walden, a small rainstorm was in the distance. At first we didn't think anything of it, but the wind picked up to the point where it was unreasonable to keep pushing on the incline to Gould, CO. We stopped on the side of the road for a 30-45 minute break. There was more construction present on the way to Gould. The workers again told us that there was a bear spotted running around this area. With this warning, we smiled and kept riding toward our campground. Aspen campground was basically abandoned with picnic tables scattered haphazardly around the site. It was good enough.

Taking a break to hide from the headwinds in between Walden and Gould

July 25

Gould to Berthoud

(Day 32 - 102.00 mi, Elevation gain: 2,874 ft)

Reviewing the elevation profile for the day, we had high hopes. After a 2,000 ft climb up Cameron Pass, it was almost entirely downhill to Fort Collins. This section heading east from Walden was officially off the ACA TransAm route, so I was nervous about the condition of the roads. My concern proved to be unfounded. The route up Cameron Pass was beautiful and a cool setting for Mitch and I to complete our last climb. We were again blown away by the scenery as we started the descent along the "Cache la Poudre River" AKA the Poudre River. The riding through the Poudre Canyon was some of the best of the whole trip.

Making it the ~80 miles to Fort Collins by 4:00 pm, we called out parents to see where they were. We decided to meet them in Berthoud, CO on their way to their hotel. So you could argue that we failed to meet our goals for the trip by not making it all the way to Denver. And while you'd be right, Mitch and I were okay with amending our goals after biking 102 miles today.

All in all, we are both happy with the outcome of the trip. I could go on and on about abstract things I learned or reflected on while riding. However, my most common feelings and thoughts were not all that profound. Most times I was thinking: "I'm hungry", "my back/neck/hands/butt hurts", or "when will we get to the top of this frickin' mountain." We both like travel and exercise. We're both super competitive. It may seem strange that we decided to ride a children's toy 1800 miles across the Western United states, but it felt strangely natural to do this with my brother.